CARSON, Calif.—David Beckham, Landon Donovan and the L.A. Galaxy recovered from a miserable first half of the 2012 season to earn a place in their second straight MLS Cup final. In Saturday’s decider they once again demonstrated their championship grit, sealing a second straight title and a Hollywood ending for Major League Soccer’s most star-studded club with a come-from-behind, 3-1, defeat of the Houston Dynamo at The Home Depot Center.

Beckham, who announced two weeks ago that Saturday’s final would be his final MLS game, was instrumental throughout and played a role in the first two Galaxy goals. Donovan, who has hinted that he’s eager to take a break from soccer that might even be permanent, missed a golden chance early but atoned with the game-winner on a second-half penalty kick.

“When I’m committed to something, I’m committed to the end,” Beckham said after the game. “It’s an amazing day today. I’m happy I’m wearing this uniform.”

The Dynamo, who lost last year’s final here to L.A. by a single goal, played well enough to win. But L.A. simply was better, its star power proving to be too much on the afternoon. Beckham left the field to a standing ovation in stoppage time, his place in MLS history secure. The Galaxy now are tied with D.C. United with four all-time titles.

Carr caps wide-open half

Finals often are cagey, tentative affairs during which teams focus primarily on avoiding mistakes. But the Galaxy and Dynamo—with a combined eight MLS Cup appearances in the past eight seasons—are comfortable under the spotlight and dispensed with the caution.

The pace was electric from the opening kickoff, with the visitors confident in possession and Beckham orchestrating the L.A. attack with several searching passes from midfield. In the 13th minute, the Galaxy should have been celebrating a lead.

One year ago, the superstar trio of Beckham, Donovan and Robbie Keane combined on the goal that lifted L.A. to a 1-0 title-clinching win over Houston. On Saturday, they hooked up again. Beckham put the Dynamo defense into disarray with a long, high pass from midfield that freed Keane on the left. The Irishman slid a cross across the face of Tally Hall’s goal to Donovan, who was open on the right post. Somehow, the leading scorer in MLS playoff history pushed his shot wide.

Donovan was deflated temporarily, but both teams continued to push, with L.A.’s Mike Magee and Houston’s Kofi Sarkodie each coming close to breaking the deadlock.

Finally, with just a minute remaining before halftime, Calen Carr gave the Dynamo reason to celebrate.

Adam Moffat sent a perfectly-weighted pass down the right channel that would have made Beckham proud and Carr timed his run perfectly, racing past L.A. defender Tommy Meyer. Carr took a touch and hammered a shot over L.A. goalkeeper Josh Saunders, who offered little resistance.

Carr missed both games of the Eastern Conference finals with an injured hamstring but was given the starting nod over Macoumba Kandji on Saturday. The goal was his fifth of the season and left the capacity crowd of 30,510 at The Home Depot Center on edge as the final hit intermission.

The Empire strikes back

L.A. opened the second half with a championship-worthy sense of urgency.

Keane put the ball into the net just three minutes in but was correctly called offside. Undeterred, the Galaxy continued pressing and Keane earned a corner kick after a break in the 52nd. Four minutes later, Carr had an opportunity to double Houston’s lead but didn’t get enough power on a header that Saunders was able to reach.

Finally, in the 61st, the Galaxy broke through.

Beckham collected a punched ball from Hall on the left and swung it back toward the middle, from where it was sent to Juninho on the right wing. The Brazilian lofted a cross toward the left post, where Gonzalez easily outjumped two Dynamo defenders and headed the ball back against the grain and over the goalkeeper.

Gonzalez, the 2011 MLS defender of the year, had missed the first half of the season with a knee injury sustained in January and his July comeback was critical to the Galaxy’s return to championship form. He handled his defensive responsibilities with aplomb as well Saturday and was named the game’s most valuable player.

L.A. smelled blood and poured forward in search of the winner. Keane put the ball in the net again in the 63rd, but his strike was nullified by a Galaxy foul. Two minutes later, Beckham hit a free kick that Hall sent back into the mixer, where the opportunistic Magee hit a bicycle kick that was blocked by Ricardo Clark’s arm.

Donovan stepped to the penalty spot and redeemed himself with an easy finish to Hall’s left. It was his second consecutive MLS Cup-clinching goal and his fifth in a final. His five league championships tie a record set by retired Hall of Fame defender Jeff Agoos and Colorado Rapids midfielder Brian Mullan.

Houston had a couple of looks at goal as it searched for the equalizer. Will Bruin forced a save from Saunders in the 84th, and veteran Brian Ching sliced a shot just wide in the 87th.

But L.A.’s cream would rise to the top again in the closing seconds as Keane touched the ball past Hall and forced the goalkeeper into a foul. Keane—the Galaxy’s best player over the past several months—fittingly took the penalty kick that provided the final margin of victory.

End of an era

With Beckham on his way to fields unknown and Donovan unsure of his future, Saturday’s game marked the end of a glittering and dramatic era for L.A.

It started miserably, with Beckham feuding with Donovan and even his own fans at times as his loans to AC Milan and injuries dominated the narrative. But coach Bruce Arena came aboard in 2008, settled the locker room and upgraded the quality of the supporting cast. Beckham recommitted himself, teammates like Gonzalez, Juninho and Magee emerged as stars in their own right and Keane arrived last year to provide the final boost.

With three MLS Cup final appearances in four years, two Supporters Shield titles and two league championships, this L.A. team will be remembered as one of the best ever and as an historic turning point in the evolution and maturity of MLS.